DOC HOME SITE MAP MAN PAGES GNU INFO SEARCH PRINT BOOK
 
Mass storage devices overview

Tape drives

A tape drive (whether for cartridge, 9-track, 8-millimeter, or DAT tape) is a character device and uses device names in the /dev/rmt directory.

The following default tape device aliases are supported (these names reference the first tape device in the system):


ctape1
non-retensioning rewinding device

ntape1
non-retensioning non-rewinding device

rtape1
retensioning rewinding device

nrtape1
retensioning non-rewinding device

utape1
unload on close device
See tape(7) for additional information about tape device names.

Retensioning and rewinding

On the first operation of the tape, a retensioning device seeks first to the beginning of the tape, then to the end of the tape, and finally, to the beginning of the tape again. Use a retensioning device for streamer cartridges that have not been accessed for some time or have been transported between accesses. The retension operation is time-consuming, but it ensures that the cartridge streamer tape is tensioned properly. A nonretensioning device does not cause retension of the tape before the first operation on the tape.

A rewinding device will seek the beginning of the tape (rewind the tape) when the cartridge streamer is closed. A nonrewinding device does not rewind the tape on close and thus enables an application to write more than one archive to the streamer tape.


Next topic: CD-ROM drives
Previous topic: Hard disks

© 2004 The SCO Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
UnixWare 7 Release 7.1.4 - 22 April 2004